More than 200 people gathered at St. Jerome Church Aug. 6 for a procession through the Rogers Park neighborhood to pray for peace.

“We would like to make our voice heard as a community of faith that the world is hurt by war, is hurt by violence, and we are sometimes a part of it,” said St. Jerome pastor Father Noel Reyes, noting that violence is not only physical, but can extend to harsh or unkind words. “Our goal is to call our attention, call the attention of the neighborhood, of the community, of the world, to these little things we are doing. We are children of peace.”

The procession, which began after Mass for the feast of the Transfiguration, followed an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe for more than a mile, passing schools and banks, paleterías and nail salons, single-family homes and apartment buildings to Farwell Pier, extending into the calm waters of Lake Michigan.

In his homily at the Mass, Reyes said that when God the Father recognized Jesus as his son during the Transfiguration, it was a recognition of his followers as well, that those who are disciples of Christ are also sons and daughters of God, and as such, carry the “hidden glory” that was revealed to the Peter, James and John on the mountain.

“It must be ratified in our own lives,” Reyes said. “What is the meaning of this event for all of us?”

Parishioners recited the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary in Spanish and English and sang hymns as they walked, carrying signs with slogans such as “Peace is a family value,” and “Violence destroys families.”

They were joined by Bishop Mark Bartosic, episcopal vicar for Vicariate II, Chicago Police Sergeant Shawn Sisk of the 24th District and Federico Guerrero, the consul general of El Salvador.

On the pier as dusk fell, Bishop Bartosic read the Beatitudes from the Gospel of Matthew and prayed for peace, saying belief in Jesus makes all Christians brothers and sisters to one another. Sisk told the gathering that as of Aug. 6, 2,646 people had been shot in Chicago in 2021, and 480 had been killed, before calling for a moment of silence.

Guerrero said the Salvadoran community of Chicago stands with the rest of the city, and called for all residents to work together to build a peaceful community.

“The best way to make community is to work together,” Guerrero said.

The prayer service on the pier concluded with children releasing balloons with prayers attached: prayers for peace in the community, for young people to learn to resolve conflicts respectfully and nonviolently, for the safety of law enforcement officers, for fair housing and employment policies.

Reyes said the event was inspired by Cardinal Cupich’s July 9 letter to parishes about violence in Chicago.

“I thought maybe this is something we can do as a community of faith,” he said.

He checked with Sisk, who has worked frequently with the parish in the past, and Sisk promised the support of police, who provided officers to block traffic as the procession moved through intersections.

“People don’t always realize there is a lot of violence in the Rogers Park area,” Reyes said. “Hopefully, this will help bring community to this neighborhood.”

Kelly Alwadhi said she joined the procession with her granddaughter as it passed her home. She asked people walking what they were doing, and they said they were praying for peace.

Her son — her granddaughter’s father — was shot to death, she said.

“We all need to pray for peace,” she said.

Parishioner Jerry Steinbrecher came to the pier pushing a walker. Steinbrecher has been a parishioner on and off since he attended kindergarten at St. Jerome in 1948.

Steinbrecher said he thought the procession was a great idea because it drew attention to people who don’t cause trouble in the neighborhood.

“Anybody can do bad and get attention,” he said. “But most of the people are doing good, and there should be some attention for that.”